# Event Details - **Event Name**: Poetry in the Park Featuring Jónína Kirton & Russell Thornton with host Jessica Lee McMillan - **Event Start and End Date**: Wed, 29 Jul, 2026 at 06:30 pm – Wed, 29 Jul, 2026 at 08:30 pm - **Event Description**: POETRY IN THE PARK 2026 Royal City Literary Arts Society presents Poetry in the Park 2026 In partnership with Arts New West and City of New Westminster Every Wednesday night from July 15 – August 19 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM Each weekly session will feature 2 poets and an Open Mic. WEDNESDAY JULY 29 Feature Poets: Jónína Kirton & Russell Thornton Host: Jessica Lee McMillan ? Where? Centennial Lodge, Queen's Park, New Westminster ? When? Wed evenings JULY 15-AUGUST 19 | 6:30pm | Open Mic Sign Up 6:15pm ? Why? Because poetry is alive and well in New West FREE, FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT Everyone is welcome! Bios: Jónína Kirton, an Icelandic and Red River Métis poet was born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Treaty 1, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, Dene peoples and the homeland of the Métis. She graduated from the SFU Writers Studio in 2007 and was sixty-one when she received the 2016 Vancouver’s Mayor’s Arts Award for an Emerging Artist in the Literary Arts category. Her second collection of poetry, An Honest Woman, was a finalist in the 2018 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. She currently lives in subsidized seniors housing in New Westminster BC, the unceded territory of the Hul’qumi’num speaking peoples. A chronic pain sufferer she has walked with her husband as he has faced life threatening health issues. This journey is documented in her fourth book. Save Your Prayers – Send Money, released in April 2026 with Talonbooks. Russell Thornton's Two Songs: Selected Poems 2000-2025 was brought out by Harbour Publishing this spring and is his tenth book of poetry. Among his earlier collections, The Hundred Lives was shortlisted for the 2015 Griffin Prize and Birds, Metals, Stones & Rain was shortlisted for the 2014 Governor General's Award for Poetry. His book of creative non-fiction, The Tree of My Only Address, is due out in spring 2027 from Caitlin Press. He lives in North Vancouver. Russell's book The White Light of Tomorrow was longlisted for our 2024 Cogswell Award for Excellence in Poetry. --- Jessica Lee McMillan (she/her) is a poet and steadfast civil servant. She has an English MA (SFU), is a graduate of The Writer’s Studio, and is a full member of the League of Canadian Poets. Read her current/forthcoming poems in CV2, The Malahat Review, New Poetry, QWERTY, Canto, and Canadian Literature. Jessica is the author of the chapbook shine like a dime in the dirt under the moon (Pinhole Poetry, 2026). She lives on the land of the Halkomelem-speaking Peoples (New Westminster, BC) with her little family and large dog. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/new-westminster/poetry-in-the-park-featuring-jónína-kirton-and-russell-thornton-with-host-jessica-lee-mcmillan/200030388174808 - **Event Categories**: art, literary-art, open-mic, health-wellness, dog - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 22 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket URL**: http://facebook.com/200030388174808?utm_source=AllEvents.in&utm_medium=event-discovery-platform&utm_campaign=new+westminster-events ## Event venue details - **city**: New Westminster - **state**: BC - **country**: Canada - **location**: Centennial Lodge - **lat**: 49.2175591 - **long**: -122.9080222 - **full address**: Centennial Lodge, 544 McBride Blvd, New Westminster, BC V3L, Canada ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Poetry in the Park Featuring Jónína Kirton & Russell Thornton with host Jessica Lee McMillan - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events4/banners/0ad49f138cc86a49b1ab8bf7e24fc7282df92b9ad95499c8262013e2d96fbc82-rimg-w1080-h1350-dc00abb5-gmir?v=1785073043 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Poetry in the Park Featuring Jonina Kirton & Russell Thornton with host Jessica Lee McMillan being held? - **A:** Poetry in the Park Featuring Jonina Kirton & Russell Thornton with host Jessica Lee McMillan takes place on Wed, 29 Jul, 2026 at 06:30 pm to Wed, 29 Jul, 2026 at 08:30 pm at Centennial Lodge, 544 McBride Blvd, New Westminster, BC V3L, Canada. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Poetry in the Park Featuring Jonina Kirton & Russell Thornton with host Jessica Lee McMillan is ideal for art lovers, collectors, creatives, and anyone inspired by visual arts, installations, and exhibitions. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in New Westminster, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Poetry in the Park Featuring Jonina Kirton & Russell Thornton with host Jessica Lee McMillan sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Poetry in the Park Featuring Jónína Kirton & Russell Thornton with host Jessica Lee McMillan", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events4/banners/0ad49f138cc86a49b1ab8bf7e24fc7282df92b9ad95499c8262013e2d96fbc82-rimg-w1080-h1350-dc00abb5-gmir?v=1785073043", "startDate": "2026-07-29", "endDate": "2026-07-29", "url": "https://allevents.in/new-westminster/poetry-in-the-park-featuring-jónína-kirton-and-russell-thornton-with-host-jessica-lee-mcmillan/200030388174808", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Centennial Lodge", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "544 McBride Blvd, New Westminster, BC V3L, Canada", "addressLocality": "New Westminster", "addressRegion": "BC", "addressCountry": "CA" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "49.2175591", "longitude": "-122.9080222" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "POETRY IN THE PARK 2026\nRoyal City Literary Arts Society presents\nPoetry in the Park 2026\nIn partnership with Arts New West and City of New Westminster\nEvery Wednesday night from July 15 – August 19 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM\nEach weekly session will feature 2 poets and an Open Mic.\n\nWEDNESDAY JULY 29" } ] ```